Sunday, August 10, 2014

MUGGER IN GHARIAL NICHE (Preparing for Man-Mugger interface in Satkosia Gorge of River Mahanadi)

I was first shocked to see a
photograph where tourist tents were pitched on Ramgaon sands in Satkosia Gorge
during the year 2008-2009, and a large mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) was basking at the edge
of water. I had pleaded for relocating the tents to the end of the Gorge at
Badmul which is more picturesque. As of 2014 no accident has occurred due to
crocodiles, and tent-camping is already abandoned at Ramagaon. Management of a
crocodile sanctuary may not be compatible to enthusiastic tourism.

Now I am for a discussion about
something more serious for the future. First, I must set the stage.

Because of the restocking programme
in Mahanadi we are able to see the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) even now. It has,
however, become clear that mugger crocodile is a lot ahead on its way for completely
snatching away the address and a part of the profession of gharial in River Mahanadi.

GRACU with glorious start

Mahanadi bank at Tikarpada has
the first Gharial Research and Conservation Unit of the country since 1975. The
FAO Consultant for FAO/UNDP/Govt of India Crocodile Project was first stationed
at Tikarpada. Croc-planning for the country was generating from here till 1979.
The Orissa project has provided a bulk of our knowledge on gharial biology and
management. The gharial-restocking programme is going on here since 1977.

My crocodile career had taken a start
at Satkosia Gorge from 05 June 1975.
In January 1981 I moved to Government of India. Apart from imparting training
to in-service Forest Officers I got the opportunity to initiate a Field Camp in
National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary from May 1983. It was for research on gharial
and all its ecological associates. At that time gharial in India
were enjoying the most ideal habitat in Chambal. Back in Orissa the situation
for gharial was not encouraging.

Non-survival of Gharial in Mahanadi

Four years after my return to
Orissa, in September 1991 Mr C. S. Dani, the Chief Wildlife Warden issued an
official instruction that in addition to my primary work in Similipal I should
make a study and report on various aspects of ‘non-survival of gharial in
Mahanadi’. That was an occasion to scrutinize the issues that affected the
first gharial project of the country.

By 1991 more than 700 gharials
were already released in Mahanadi but hardly 25 were
seen. I discussed the issue of non-survival of gharial from several possible
angles namely, (a) evolutionary forces acting against gharials, (b) deterioration
of the habitat of gharial in Mahanadi, (c) status of gharial habitat in
Mahanadi when compared with the habitat in Chambal, (d) our own limited success
in eliminating those decimating factors which were identified in 1975 to be
acting against gharial in Mahanadi, (e) modifications in management that were
not conducive to effective gharial conservation.

Mugger in GharialRiver

One of the reasons for non-survival
is “Mugger in Gharial's ecological niche”. It was not the first time that muggers were
identified as a factor that may cause problem for gharial. The problem was
apprehended since 1979 at Katerniyaghat where it was decided through a
symposium and we communicated the decision that mugger crocodiles should not be
released in gharial habitats because muggers always had the potentiality to
take over the habitat from gharial.

Gharial-rivers didn’t have many mugger crocodiles

Structurally Gharial is adapted
more towards living in water or at its edge. It cannot go on long walks away
from water as can muggers. By the beginning of 1970s Gharial had got confined
to selected perennial rivers of the Gangetic, Brahmaputra
and Mahanadi systems. These rivers were better known for
gharial than for the mugger. Mugger was secretive, if it occurred. I had taken
note of one exception in River Chambal in 1983-85 where the zone expressively
occupied by mugger was scarce of gharial and dolphin.

From 1960 Mr L. A. George was in
charge of river movement of bamboos on river Mahanadi
for the Titaghur Paper Mills. He saw “plenty of gharial together with a few
muggers in Mahanadi during 1960s”. I reached Tikarpada
early enough in 1975 to meet and interact with Mr George for a couple of years.
Reportedly, around 1969 persons from south had killed many gharials and
crocodiles with baited hooks.

Retired officers of the state
Forest Department have often talked about the abundance of gharial as well as
mugger in river Mahanadi during 1930s and 1940s. When we
undertook survey of Mahanadi in 1975-1976 we found the
river with only eleven gharials and three mugger crocodiles. There were no
crocodile nests until we got one with a guarding mother gharial in Satkosia
Gorge in 1976.

The survey showed that no
crocodilians were left in river Ib, the Hirakud reservoir, in the Mahanadi
up to Boudh, and in the tributaries Baghmati and Badanadi. From Boudh to Satkosia Gorge there were seven
gharials and 2 muggers. In Satkosia Gorge there were four gharials and one
mugger. Then from Satkosia Gorge to Cuttack
there were none. From Cuttack to
tidal limits there were no crocodilians except the possibility of presence in tributary
Chitrotpala. So, Mahanadi, like other Gharial rivers in
the country was indeed very low in number with muggers, and signs of breeding
in the wild were not clear.

Compulsion of Manager may become mistake in Conservation!

When I wrote the report in 1991
about non-survival of gharial in Mahanadi 213 muggers
were already released in the river. The releases were often defended as a
managerial compulsion. The compulsion had arisen because of the project’s own fast-success
in captive breeding of mugger at Tikarpada.

Mugger crocodile can live in a
range of freshwater habitats and are not very specific in their food habit. As
they grow from hatchling to adult food composition may change from insects and
fish to live or dead mammals. They can walk on land for several kilometers if
the water dries up. They can flourish better than the gharial.

Croc Equation in Mahanadi

From annual survey reports it is
gathered that presently a boat trip along the Satkosia Gorge may not show any
gharial but will show several muggers of various sizes from hatchlings to
adults.

The Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary is
now under the Tiger Reserve network. Commitment towards habitat conservation is
becoming stronger. The days for mugger in the river are better than the
situation in 1960s! So, the species is likely to floursh in Satkosia Gorge and
the River Mahanadi, but in the process unintentionally we are at the end of the
road towards completely losing the gharial.

Mugger crocodiles are known for
peaceful coexistence with people and cattle that use the same water body. But,
with increase in numbers of mugger the interface with man is expected to increase.
Village impoundments may attract muggers during high flood in Mahanadi.

Thus, there is fear that mugger
may create a situation for which in the coming decades the state wildlife
administration will have to remain ready. People may wean away their past tolerance
to a couple of muggers in the pond they put to their own use.

Precautions needed to reduce possible man-mugger interface

I suggest some precautions for
future. These are not complete or only for Odisha (Orissa).

(1.) Do not make special effort to
breed mugger unless the habitat for release can accept more. If they are
breeding in captivity the process may continue without human interference.

(2.) Do not collect mugger
crocodile eggs for captive propagation.

(3.) Do not release any more
mugger in River Mahanadi.

(4.) Keep alive the crocodile
rearing centres at Tikarpada, Ramatirtha and Dangamal to keep live the art and
science of crocodile rearing including capture. Retain the skilled people who
can capture crocodiles without fear.

(5.) Do not remove or kill
predators of crocodile eggs. Let them defend and balance, naturally!

(6.) Tourists going for boating
in Mahanadi need to be educated.

People must not hang their feet or hand out of the
boat into water when the boat is moving.

They must not throw unused meat or fish at camping
places.

They must not feed muggers. They may create nuisance
muggers for future.

Nuisance muggers will shed fear for people. They may
become bold enough to approach boats and camping places for food. Nuisance
animals are created by people who feed them without realising the
consequences. This is our experience in temple campuses.

Fishermen should be careful when fixing or removing
baited hooks in water, and when cleaning their utensils away from normal
bathing ghats.

Future of captive mugger crocodiles at Tikarpada

Now there are only two mugger
crocodiles and nine gharials maintained in captivity at Tikarpada. These are
for educational purposes of the public and students who visit the place.

People who have mastered the art
of rearing and capturing crocodiles are valuable to us. Crocodile rearing
including their capture and handling is a skill that has been learnt and
perfected with experience continuously and gradually over the years. Losing
such people and the skill will take us back to 1975.

Gharial for Tikarpada and Satkosia

The restocking programme
involving gharial has to be kept continued with young ones brought from captive
breeding programme at Nandankanan. That way sighting of Gharial in Mahanadi
can be continued and people will not forget gharial for which the project
started. The scope for education, research, photography and ecotourism keeping
gharial and mugger in focus can be kept continued.

The exercise will also help to
keep sharp the skill and technology of rearing gharial both at Nandankanan and
Tikarpada. It will help to reduce pressure on captive stock at Nandankanan.